Energy

This joint resolution (SJRES 11) directs Congress to disapprove a specific rule issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) concerning "Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources," which was published in the Federal Register on September 3, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 71160). The resolution blocks the rule from taking effect, meaning it will have no legal force or authority. This action directly affects activities regulated under the rule, such as offshore energy projects that may impact marine archaeological sites like shipwrecks or submerged cultural resources. The resolution uses the statutory process under Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code, to override the agency's regulation without creating new policy.

The Protecting American Energy Production Act (HR 26) states that Congress believes states should have primary authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for oil and natural gas on state and private lands. It prohibits the President from imposing a moratorium on fracking without a new law passed by Congress. This bill directly affects federal executive authority by preventing unilateral federal bans and reinforces state regulatory roles. The key provision ensures any federal restriction on fracking would require a specific act of Congress, rather than executive action.